Nigerian court grants US request for extradition of Nigerian wanted on terrorism charges

ABUJA, Nigeria – A Nigerian court has ordered the extradition of one of its citizens wanted in the United States for terrorism.

Earlier this month the United States Embassy requested Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi's extradition on a federal indictment charging he provided support to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The papers said Babafemi, 33, admitted to FBI agents that he traveled to Yemen with AQAP members and received $8,600 to return to Nigeria and recruit English speakers to radicalize others.

Federal High Court Judge Ahmed Mohammed on Wednesday ordered Babafemi to go to the U.S. to face the indictment.

Babafemi, also known as Abdullah Ayatollah Mustapha, did not contest the order.

AQAP claims many terrorist attacks including the 2009 attempted bombing of a Northwest Airline flight by a Nigerian with explosives in his underwear.